Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto Franchise that belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto; I do not own Heaven's Lost Property, High School DxD, or any other Anime I borrow themes from. The only thing I claim is my OC's and original Story Plot.
Author's Note (A/N): Hey everyone I'm back. I know it's been awhile and I apologize that I haven't updated in awhile. I've been very busy not to mention experiencing some fatigue and it's affected the way I write so I had to take some time off from updating. However I do have the next few chapter already pre written so I'll just upload them in intervals so that I don't get bogged down and overwhelmed.
Anyways I've kept you long enough let's get to the chapter.
Chapter 13
Tazuna's Family
It was early morning when Naruto's eyes opened up to the world. Without his trusted alarm clock to awake him he was slightly surprised that his body saw fit to wake itself up. Thinking about it he supposed it was a good thing. He had a lot to do today.
Sitting up in his bed he had to bite back a hiss of pain as his shoulder decided to shoot searing pain into all of his nerves at that moment. 'Man if that isn't a wakeup call then I don't know what is.' Naruto cringed. Feeling a tiny stir of motion in his hair Naruto used his one good arm and reached up to grab the small fairy that is his other half. "Morning Eva." Naruto mumbled out with the little winter fairy returning the gesture. After a little small talk in which Eva asked him about his shoulder and neck Naruto reassured her that everything was ok.
'Morning girls.' Naruto called out in his mind. Since they were not supposed to be seen for the time being Iris and Chaos had to be in their transformed states and as such they couldn't share the bed properly with him like they would normally do. It worked out best for him since he couldn't hold them properly with essentially one arm, nor could he easily support their weight either. The girls find it very difficult if not impossible to properly sleep without being near or next to him so he has to make them share the bed with him or else they would be up all night and that would mean no sleep for him. He counted himself lucky that Anko wasn't here right now.
The psychopathic woman who pretty much moved into his house without his permission loves to sneak into his bed at nights and most of the time she is only in her underwear. On the nights were she had her fun she would end up wearing lingerie that wasn't exactly child friendly. It also didn't exactly help him either given his age and what that entails. He would mostly end up in a wrestling match with the older woman in the following morning were either of them would have the other in a submission hold until the other gives in… which they are both known not to do.
In a way he kind of felt a little empty without the wild woman who he secretly thinks of as an older sister here to greet him in the morning with her usual antics. 'Would you look at that? I feel home sick and I'm missing Anko already.' Naruto thought with a shake of his head.
[Morning daddy.] Iris's voice rings out like a gentle bell inside of his head. Her little accent was out and it made her sound adorable. [Mmnnn. Morn'in dada.] Chaos mumbled out in a sloppy slur. He almost couldn't make out what she said. Chaos is not a morning person and it usually takes her some time to actually start functioning normally. In all actuality this is one of the few times in any given day where she is actually quite and manageable.
'Sleep well?' Naruto asked as he quickly walked out of the room after gathering up everything he would need and balancing all of it in his one good arm. He walked past Kakashi's bed who appeared to still be asleep but Naruto wasn't a hundred percent sure if the man was awake or not. Naruto was in his boxers and nothing else and the only other covering anywhere on his body was the bandages around his neck and shoulder. He normally didn't go around without a shirt on because he was self-conscious of the mark on his back left by the demon that attacked him. In his apartment sometimes yes but even then he normally didn't do it.
[Yeah. How is your shoulder?] Iris asked. Naruto could hear the worry and concern in her voice and it made a small warm smile cross his face. No matter how angry she says she is at him her love for him always shows through more. Iris is naturally a person who shows compassion and empathy for others and she places their well-being above any other emotion she is feeling at the time. It makes him feel a swell of pride for the little princess. 'It's fine sweetie. No need to worry about it.' Naruto said reassuringly. [You're still on punishment dada.] Chaos mumbled out some more reminding Naruto of the situation he is in.
He had a seal on him that stores away items and he had a whole collection of ramen inside that would last him and the girls on the mission. Not being able to eat any of it was a serious blow to Naruto and he was tempted to sneak and eat one but he knew that was impossible. Furthermore his injury that Iris refused to heal was another spot of bother but one he could live with since he had a natural healing factor that was not attached to the separate powers the three girls bonded to him possess.
'I know sweetie. I didn't forget.' Naruto reassured as he stepped into the decent and well-kept bathroom the house had. Naruto closed the door and locked it before letting Iris and Chaos out to not only stretch but to also help them freshen up. Kakashi told Naruto that he had to help the two while he was still unconscious. He had enough chakra in him to create a shadow clone that took them to the bathroom and helped them brush their teeth. The girls were considerate enough not to give the clone to much trouble since they are used to doing things a certain way which mostly only Naruto knew how to do.
Naruto helped his girl's brush their teeth, wash up, and do the normal cosmetic's that are a part of their normal every morning routine. In turn Naruto also brushed his teeth as well but he also needed to take a bath and change the wrappings around his shoulder. The girls offered to wash his back and change his medical wrap for him and he quickly agreed. Naruto was not at all ashamed of being naked in front of the girls and he was actually comfortable around them since he was the one who normally gave them baths. While they had no problems letting Aria or even Anko give them baths they usually threw a temper tantrum whenever he tried to give an excuse as to why he couldn't do it.
Naruto learned the hard way that they were always going to win that argument so he normally agreed just to save time and unneeded property damage. Their apartment that they've lived in most of their lives while in a lot better shape than it was in years prior which was all due to Naruto's efforts was still just held together by some duct tape and a lot of love. Some repairs were not easy at all to do.
After all was said and done Naruto was dressed in his normal attire with a fresh set of bandages covering his healing shoulder. Kakashi was up by this time and so was everyone else in the house. Naruto made his way down to the kitchen where he could see Tsunami making breakfast and Tazuna was at the table with a newspaper in his hand. A cup of coffee was in front of him and he was dressed for work already. His hard hat was already on his head. Naruto didn't like coffee because it was too bitter for him; he preferred tea over coffee and it just so happens that despite her young age Iris was an avid lover of tea, who also didn't mind coffee as a substitute on occasions.
Sitting at the table Naruto greeted the pair who acknowledged him and the three engaged in a light conversation while the other residence of the house entered the room. Sakura came in next looking fresh and well rested and she sat on the opposite side of the table from Naruto. Sakura engaged in the conversation with them as well with Naruto returning the favor. He silently thanked the girl for not bringing up the conversation from yesterday because that would have made everything tense and awkward. Sasuke and Kakashi entered the room together and sat at the table. Tazuna was sitting at the head of the table and two seats were already reserved to his left and right. Kakashi was sitting next to Naruto next to one of the empty reserved seats and Sasuke was sitting directly in front of him.
The young Uchiha didn't even say a word to him and Naruto had to sigh at this. He didn't appreciate the boy trying to interrogate and probe into his personal live. He never let anyone do it before and he wasn't going to start now. However Naruto knew he should have handled the situation better than what he did yesterday. He wasn't making any friends with how he went about handling the conversation. He had nothing against Sasuke at all and he even wanted to be friends with him but the boy repeatedly pushed him and his friends away in the academy when they tried to reach out to him. Add on to the fact that the boy was tolerable at most during team exercise's since he wanted to do things his own way and it caused a small bit of tension between him and Naruto since Naruto secretly had far more experience than him and so he knew what Kakashi was trying to teach them.
The one time where he helped the boy out with those bullies was the only time they ever worked together. To be friends with him Naruto would have to place his trust in you. And Naruto's form of trust comes with the protection of his girls. The one thing Naruto wanted more than anything else in the world was a family and with Iris and Chaos in his life he got just what he wanted. To trust someone would mean that he also trusts you with his girls and that was a big commitment in his eyes. All of his adult friends in his life he could trust are because they are mature and powerful enough to protect themselves and others. Sasuke and Sakura didn't have that level of trust because in Naruto's eyes while they were all the same age he considers his teammates not mature enough to earn his trust. Sasuke was too elusive and obsessed with his own personal issues to be trusted with his girls and Sakura while she was a little better off she was very naïve and not serious about her training.
"Inari come down for breakfast!" Tsunami called out after preparing everyone's meal. Naruto raised an eyebrow at this. He didn't know there was another resident in the house. Moments later a small boy around Konohamaru's age came in. He had shaggy black unkempt hair and a bucket hat on his head. It was stark white with two large bands of blue going horizontally across the hat. He had large wide black eyes with no visible pupils. Inari had on a beige colored shirt with a thick collar as well as green overalls. The boy had small bags underneath his eyes and his eyes themselves were concealing a large amount of pain, sadness, cynicism, and angst. It was a poisonous combination that Naruto frowned at.
"Thank you for the meal." The boy sullenly said. "So now that we have the chance I would like to tell you guys that I'm going to be giving you all some specialized training to prepare us for when Zabuza returns." Kakashi spoke up as everyone ate their food. "What type of training sensei?" Sakura asked in curiosity. "Oh you'll see when it's time." Kakashi said with an eye smile. Naruto had a clue what type of training the copy ninja had in mind and he thought it was about time.
"What good would training do? Just look how you guys came in. Especially him. Just give up." Inari said indignantly. The tone in his voice was bitter and angry. Naruto narrowed his eyes at this. The boy got up from his chair and left the room. His food was already eaten. 'What was that all about?' Naruto thought to himself. [I can sense a lot of anger in him.] Iris added in. She was a little put off by all the negative energy surrounding the boy since she is a being that host's and represents so much positive energy. [I can sense it too. However his energy is the bad kind.] Chaos chirped. She was especially sensitive to negative energy and she could visibly see it surrounding the boy like a toxic cloud.
Naruto sent a look at Tsunami and she had an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry about that. He's my son. But he has had a troubled past so please forgive him for anything he might say." Tsunami requested as she looked at Naruto. Apparently the others knew of this and it was a given since he's been out the last two days and his teammates were obviously ok compared to him.
"I see. I'll keep that in mind." Naruto said as he stood up from his chair. He placed his plate in the moderated sized sink along with the other dirty dishes. Naruto passed by a picture frame hanging up on the wall and it had Tazuna, Tsunami, Inari, and one other person who's face was cut off. Inari and his family were smiling brightly in the photo and Naruto instantly frowned at this since it didn't take a super genius to figure out that something happened.
"Where are you going Naruto? Sakura asked as she saw Naruto heading for the front door of the house. "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back soon." Naruto said as he approached the door.
"Oh my. You shouldn't be doing any strenuous activities while you are recovering. You should rest." Tsunami called out. She had a worried look on her face as her eyes tracked over to his injured shoulder and neck. Naruto felt a warmth settle into his chest at the compassion the older woman showed. It was the eyes of a mother. Only Shoko ever looked at him with those eyes before. Naruto smiled. "I appreciate the concern but I'm fine really. All I need is some fresh air that's all. I won't be gone for long." Naruto said reassuringly as he slipped on his sandals and walked out of the house. Sakura and Tsunami looked at each other in concern but Kakashi had a calm aura about him and Sasuke didn't even respond but 5 minutes after Naruto left Sasuke expressed an interest in leaving the house as well with Kakashi consenting.
The snap of sticks underneath his feet and the gentle rush of wind was just some of the many sounds Naruto heard as he trekked through the forest after leaving his client's house. The crunching of leaf's and the smell of dew on the grass were some of the most prominent phenomenon Naruto was experiencing since the Land of Wave's is a very damp and heavily moistened region. He knew where his team would be setting up camp and he was heading their right now. Using Iris's affinity for birds he had sent one off to find his team and when it did they attached a small note to the bird's leg and sent it back to him with their coordinates on it. He did this as soon as he had gotten into the bathroom earlier this morning and surprisingly the bird returned after he had finished getting himself dressed.
He knew Sasuke was silently following him and as much as he would want to deal with his teammate now and settle what was going on he knew he couldn't put off what he had to do with his colleagues any longer. He hated putting off important things for later and as much as he considered what his team did as important the overall mission took priority.
'I'm almost back up to 100% as far as my chakra reserves are concerned. But I don't want to waste it too much when I don't have to. So just one burst should be enough to get me where I need to go.' Naruto thought to himself as he passed by a thick huge tree. "Acceleration." Naruto whispered as his body glowed light blue right before he disappeared kicking up a tornado of leaves and letting out a gust of wind.
Sasuke who was at least two dozen yards away came rushing into the clearing after he saw Naruto disappear. "What?" The last Uchiha whispered to himself as the whirlwind of leaves fell on top of him after settling down.
Touching down Naruto's body lost its glow as he could see a few dozen yards ahead of him that a small clearing was set up and several figures could be seen. Making his way into the clearing at a sedate pace Naruto knew he was detected by his colleagues the moment he touched down. Most likely even before that in Aspen's case. "Hey everyone so what's up?" Naruto said casually because he knew what was coming. "Naruto?!" Henrietta called out in shock. She like everyone else knew he was coming and they even knew that he was injured during the battle but what he did not mention to them was just how badly he was injured.
"What happened to you? How come you never mentioned you were this hurt?" Henrietta stressed as she suddenly found herself at the blond haired boy's side. Naruto barely even saw her move. "Because I knew you would be worried about me. Like you are now." Naruto said with a sheepish smile on his face. He knew that Henrietta cared for him a lot and it would distract her greatly from her mission if she was constantly worried about him. "But look at this. Your neck and shoulder are ruined. How exactly did this happen?" The brown haired girl pressed. Aria as well was on this mission even though Naruto wanted her to stay with Shoko in the village. Shoko shot the idea down and told Naruto to take the young witch with him since he is her handler after all.
The concern in her eyes at the moment was all he needed to see to let him know he was going to be getting an earful from the witch as well. "It will heal soon Henrietta. There is no need to worry about it." Naruto reassured. "But master. You shouldn't have hid this from us. Oh… I wish I was there to help you. At the very least I wish I could have taken care of you." Aria whined softly. She was bitter that she was not by her master's side during this mission. She wished she could be with him but she was not a ninja and her abilities were not like anything any ninja possessed. It would raise a lot of questions from people up top and they would be questions that she would not want to answer anytime soon.
Naruto could see the hurt and longing in the witch's eyes and it made him sigh in sadness. Unlike Hinata and Henrietta who he couldn't always read or understand Aria was a complete and open book to Naruto. She hid nothing from him and she was pretty much incapable of hiding anything from him. Again unlike his other two best friends he knew exactly how Aria felt about him. She had an intense devotion towards him and a serious drive to please him and make him happy. Also beside that was a small innocent crush on him. Naruto felt honored that she would devote herself completely to him but at the same time he was put off by it. That is why he doesn't like when she calls him master. He didn't want to control her or own her; he just wanted to be her friend, but she didn't see things that way.
Not only had Shoko saved her life and taken her in under her wing, but the older woman introduced the young witch to her partner who Aria was sure would be absolutely furious with her for indirectly having a hand in nearly getting his partner killed but to Aria's shock Naruto didn't show the indigo themed girl any spite or hatred. Sure he was wary of her in the beginning and didn't know how to approach her but he never turned her away and then he did the unthinkable. He offered Aria a place in his home with no string attached simply because she needed it and Shoko's apartment was not suited for two.
The witch was beyond touched by the kindness Shoko and Naruto showed her. After that Naruto showed her Iris and Chaos and Aria instantly fell deeply in love with the two sisters. Aria from that day forward silently promised herself that she would repay every ounce of kindness they showed to her. Aria is a Witch. A being that is halfway human and halfway into the supernatural realm. They are persecuted and condemned by both humans and supernatural creatures alike. Even with that being said Aria's instincts are very sharp. The moment she met Naruto she could sense that he was different. While she was sure he was human what she could sense coming from him was not. What Aria was sensing was the ambient Yōki his body naturally produced as a result of being bonded to Eva for so many years, but not only that Aria unknowingly sensed Iris's and Chaos's power as well. When she met Iris and Chaos she instinctively knew they were not human.
One she knew that they were higher up on the food chain than her. That was something she could instantly tell just by being around Chaos. She could tell that the little girl while apparently innocent and nice was very powerful and most importantly dangerous. While around Iris she felt incredible warmth. It was pure and felt like bliss. But what always confused Aria the most was that she couldn't sense an ounce of power from the little girl. Aria would stretch out her senses to the max and she would feel nothing but at the same time she could feel something right beyond the edge of her senses and that something terrified and awed the young witch for reasons she couldn't understand.
These feelings played on Aria's natural instincts and it caused her to be submissive to the two small blonds. With Naruto the feeling came less naturally and more out of her own will and sheer obligation to serve him. She could sense Iris's and Chaos's aura entangled within Naruto along with his own power and Aria knew that while he was already strong at the time they first met it would be nothing compared to how strong he would be when he became older. She made her decision that day to serve him. To her it was only natural. She was weak and from one of the most looked down races in the supernatural world. She felt that her place was at a strong master's side. Naruto however didn't see things that way and tired at every opportunity to dissuade her from such thoughts. However these thoughts are a part of a supernatural being's very DNA and it's not something that can easily be changed. Even humans have the same problems.
Aria was 12 nearly 13 the day she met Shoko at the dock years prior and currently she is 15 nearly 16 after spending the last 3 and a half years with Naruto while he is 12 and in some months will soon be 13. He always thought she was beautiful and it was true. Aria had an exotic look with her silver hair and turquoise eyes along with her unique choice of clothes that just seemed to suit her perfectly. Aria was very attractive for a girl her age when she was 12 with budding breast and a curvaceous body but as of now at 15 things has changed. She added a few inches onto her height but she also added onto other features as well. She is around a d cup and her body would make any male break their necks the second she would walk by but her body is balanced out by her childlike face that is still full of blissful innocence.
Within recent months Naruto has started noticing these things among others and it's caused an unnoticeable tension in the house. With Aria pretty much being like his own family maid he sees her every single day and they are always together. It's hard not to notice such things. Further add on to the fact that Anko is not the best role model around and it gets a little tense. Shoko isn't much of a problem since while she is over at Naruto's apartment almost every day she at least has the decency to wear proper clothes as well as sleepwear. Anko on the other hand does not do any of that.
At the end of the day Naruto could see why Aria would be so fanatically devoted to him. He gave her everything she ever wanted. A family; a stable home (mostly); caring friends; a safe environment; and a purpose to live for. It was the exact same thing with him. He got a family in the form of Iris and Chaos which increased to include his closes friends including Aria; a stable home (mostly); caring friends in the form of some of his classmates and colleagues in the Casino. He was too embarrassed to say it but he considered Hinata and Henrietta to be a part of his small rag tag family; a safe environment in the form of the Casino and too many extents his apartment. It's his safe haven and he's poured hundreds of hours into fixing the place up to be liveable for him and his girls; and a purpose for living in the form of his two precious girls. They gave him a true purpose in life and he would gladly give it up if it meant they could survive.
So in that regard he could see exactly where Aria was coming from, however it didn't mean he had to like it. He didn't want her to feel as if he was controlling her or she was obligated and had no choice but to serve him. She took over doing the chores in the apartment and cooking as well. Naruto however insisted that they do these things together or in turns since he didn't feel comfortable with her doing all that labor intensive work alone, especially when he is fully capable of doing those things as well.
As for her little crush on him he was initially shocked but then he became flattered that she would have those feeling for him. In actuality he only just learned this about a month ago shortly after the incident between him and Evangeline. She sat him down in private and told him about her feelings. Again he was shocked but soon after that he calmed down and thought it over. He was a tad bit concerned by the age difference between them but he pushed it aside since it was a trivial matter especially in a world like the one they lived in. He told her that he was completely unsure of his feeling for her but he accepted hers all the same. She was immensely happy that day. She said that she didn't want anything to change between them just as long as he knew she cared deeply about him. Naruto was thrown for a loop by that since he expected her to want things to change between them. Apparently not but Naruto from that point on treated her even more gently than he did before. He also gave her special attention every once in awhile. He wasn't sure if that was enough but Aria assured him that all that he was doing was enough for her. They never kissed yet but he was prone to giving her hugs and more affectionate gestures more often.
He asked her what type of relationship did they have now and she just laughed as said she didn't know. Naruto laughed too since he didn't know what to think of the strange relationship he shared with Aria. Speaking of which Hinata and Henrietta found out that very next day and they took off with the witch for the entire day and when Aria came home she had some bruises and cuts on her body and when Naruto asked what happened the young psychic witch explained that she had a sparring match with Hinata and Henrietta. Apparently Evangeline joined them as well since soon after Aria left Eva took off as well.
Nothing bad happened between the close nit group of girls who were very close to each other; but they weren't going to let Aria just get away with pulling ahead of them all and take first place so to speak. They had to remind her that while they were completely overjoyed for their close friend it didn't mean they were going to sit back and let her get off easy. Aria actually smiled at them and suggested that they spar. Aria's unique psychic powers allowed her to fend off the other three girls and her age compared to them helped as well but she eventually fell to the combined might of the three strong girls who worked well together.
After that things returned to normal between the girls although Aria's actions gave the other girls more determination to be more confident around Naruto. As it stands the four girls made a promise to each other never to let their friendship end over their feelings for Naruto. Hinata and Eva told Aria and Henrietta how many of the girls in their class ended their friendships with each other in pursuit for Sasuke. Ino and Sakura just so happened to be the most noticeable and popular one since they were at the top of the Sasuke fan girl club. In fact other girls in the class did the same, they traded in their friendship for a rivalry that would ultimately get them nowhere and it saddened, but mostly disgusted and disappointed Hinata and Eva when they witnessed it first hand during their time in the Academy. Hearing this Henrietta and Aria were disgusted just the same and they vowed never to let that happen to them.
The truth is the four girls valued their friendship more than anything. Evangeline, Aria, and Henrietta are orphans and Hinata has grown up in the oppressive household of the Hyūga clan without a mother which helped stunt her growth and it would have continue to do so if she hadn't met Naruto that day. Because of this the girls craved the close bonds of having another female companion they could confide in and they found that within each other so they were not going to be giving that up for anything. Not even Naruto. Because at the end of the day not only would he not want them to destroy their friendship all because of him, but in the end they could still all remain his friend and close to him without having feelings for him.
"Hey Aria it's fine ok. Come here." Naruto said as he beckoned the witch closer. Coming close Naruto reached out and patted the girl on her hat covered head. Aria had a small blush on her face since Naruto was unknowingly giving her one of his charming smiles. Naruto had that natural "baby face" that could charm girls and make them consider him cute which worked completely to his advantage.
With a gesture Naruto released Iris and Chaos from their transformations and the two girls were eager to stretch and run around. Chaos immediately started to pester Rico and Triela who while worried knew that Naruto was fine and he would downplay his injuries as to not worry them. The two older girls were eager to play with the hyperactive girl who had an abundance of energy that could not be contained. Iris decided to remain by Naruto's side since she wanted to talk to Aria and Henrietta. The princess wanted to ask Henrietta how she was coming along with a little project she requested of her. Henrietta was making small little buttons and hair pins in the shape of bear faces. Along with that she was also crafting them in the shape of little birds. It turns out that Henrietta was great at crafting and she took it up as one of her few hobbies. Aria also shared this hobby as well and with her psychic powers it allowed her to make interesting things. The two girls passed this hobby down to both Iris and Chaos but surprisingly enough Chaos picked up on this like a fish to water. However it should be noted that Chaos used her advanced talents in this field for her own mischievous ends.
"Naruto we need to talk." Jean called out. His face was cold and he had his usual scowl on his face but Naruto noted that he seemed angrier than normal. Walking over Naruto stood in front of Jean, Aspen, Jose, Victor, and Alessandro. They were other handlers and partners in the clearing but Naruto did not know them personally and he didn't work with them often. They were content to just sit around or be on guard in case something happened.
"What is it? What new information do you have for me?" Naruto asked. He was ready to talk strategy in regards to how they would plan out the next phase of their mission. Now that they were all inside the Land of Waves the mafia teams would go about setting up a branch in the country as well as removing Gatō's presence. Fighting a criminal organization with an organization that is the pinnacle of what organized crime can be. The mafia is the top power in the criminal underworld and it stands at the top of all crime. In the Elemental Countries there are five Mafia organizations that stand above the rest. The Jasmine Dragons and Hotel Moscow led by the King Pins Dino and Balalaika respectively are two of the five great Mafia families as it's called. The other three stay to themselves although the Jasmine Dragons deal heavily with the Mafia from the Hidden Sand.
Other organizations such as gangs, bandits, mercenaries, and bounty hunters all fall under the Mafia on the totem pole in terms of power and influence. The thing with the Jasmine Dragons however is the fact that not only do they control and regulate crime in the Land of Fire but they also neutralize it if it comes in conflict with their ideals and goals.
"One you need to get your shoulder fixed now. Why didn't Iris heal it already?" Jean questioned with a calculating look towards both Naruto and Iris who was close by. "She choose not to heal my arm because of my reckless actions in dealing with Zabuza. Looking back at it even I can see that some of my tactics were wrong. I should have handled it better but I didn't and it got be injured. She was angry at me so she refused to heal my arm. She only stabilized and fixed the bone inside my shoulder but she didn't go further." Naruto explained. Jean and Aspen frowned at this, more so Jean than Aspen. Jose had a raised eyebrow at this but even so he still frowned somewhat.
"Iris come over here and heal Naruto's wounds. We don't have time for your childish and petty reasons." Jean said with his normal cold tone. However he was quite serious now. Iris flinched at suddenly having someone address her in such a manner but when it finally registered in her mind instead of being scared a feisty and defiant look crossed her eyes. "And if I don't? I've already said I won't heal daddy's wound. It will heal quickly enough on its own." Iris said as she stared up at Jean who clenched his jaw. "Listen girl I said you will heal his arm now!" Jean raised his voice.
"JEAN! Do not take that tone with my daughter again." Naruto cut in. His voice had an edge in it that was sharper than Zabuza's sword and the clearing already dropped at least 30 degrees in temperature. His eyes took on their dark cold look that only appears during battle. He would not allow anyone to talk like that to his daughters especially in his presence. He would not let anyone get away with such a thing and he was not going to start now.
Iris had a shocked look on her face since no one ever demanded or commanded her to do anything before. Let alone say it with such force behind their words. However the defiant look did not leave her eyes and it was clear to everyone that she would have responded if Naruto hadn't stepped in at that time. However at the moment she was looking at Naruto with admiration shining in her eyes. Chaos bright and cheerful smile dimmed just a little bit when Jean initially addressed Iris and it took a noticeable dip when Jean raised his voice at her sister but now Chaos was looking at Naruto with interest clear in her eyes.
Jean walked up until he towered over Naruto with his superior height. "I don't think you understand the situation we're in boy. So let me explain." Jean spoke while glaring down at Naruto.
"We did some scouting while you were taking your little nap." Naruto gritted his teeth at this. "We found out that the village is in disarray. It's worse than we thought possible. Famine, starvation, and sickness are at an all-time high. It's just as bad if not worse than what the slums district use to be in our village." Naruto widened his eyes at this. "But that's the least of our worries. We managed to infiltrate the port of the town and we survey the area and took a detailed analysis of everything going on. Gatō has an army of bandits and mercenaries working for him. Numbering in the hundreds." Jean explained.
"Hundreds." Evangeline whispered to herself in disbelieve. Naruto was thinking the same thing. "But our main problem is in who Gatō hired. He hired from what Aspen knowledge has provided us 4 Jōnin and 16 Chūnin. All missing ninja's from small villages as well as a few from the 5 great nations." Jean revealed and it left Naruto speechless. 20 ninja. 20 highly trained ninja. Not only did that prove just how wealthy Gatō was to be able to afford and maintain that many ninja who undoubtedly would request a lot of money for their services but it also spoke volumes to his influence and the connections he must have.
"Impossible. How could he get his hands on so many ninja?" Naruto said breathlessly. While 20 opponents didn't sound like much in the long run it was actually a large number especially when you consider the fact that they would most likely all come after his team which consist of one elite Jōnin and three Genin. One of which is a Chūnin in strength but even then that would not help against a force such as that. Especially since they have Zabuza on their side who proved to be more than a match for Kakashi in their previous battle.
"At your full strength going full out you would be able to take down maybe 6 of their Chūnin and that would be if you used your powers wisely instead of brute forcing your way through them. Maybe 8 but that is definitely pushing it. Once your element of surprise is over those Jōnin would swarm you and kill you. Now do you see why I need you at 100 percent? It's so that you stand at least somewhat of a chance of facing off against such a force." Jean explained gruffly.
Naruto's glare completely disappeared at this time as he seriously contemplated everything that was said to him. He could feel a knot in his chest and a pit in his stomach at listening to what was said to him. He knew Jean was right. He could probably take down 6 of those Chūnin but that was just a basic observation. That's not even taking into account the many variables of any given fight. Naruto knew that in the end he would die if he faced such a force alone. Naruto could feel a trickle of sweat role down his cheek.
"I won't let that happen." Iris suddenly spoke up. Everyone turned their head to the little girl and most were surprised to see such a defiance and passion in her eyes that it took some of the people present by surprise. "I beg your pardon." Jean replied. "I won't let such a thing happen. You speak as if daddy would be going into battle alone. He's never alone and in such an event if those ninja were to attack I would fight alongside him. I'd make them regret attacking us." Iris said with an edge in her voice. Her vibrant blue eyes were turning green and a look of power was reflected in her eyes. She was completely serious about what she just said.
Many birds of various species started to congregate in the clearing the Mafia was meeting in and they were all perched up in the trees and some on the ground. A gentle breeze flew in through the clearing but the air itself was warm like sitting next to a campfire and it was warming everyone up since the Land of Waves is a pretty damp and moisten region. Iris's yellow dress fluttered a little since it would seem the wind was caused by her.
"I would punish all of those mean bullies for hurting dada." Chaos said with a grin but her grin had a slight psychotic glint to it that most missed unless you knew her. She was serious as well. It actually looked like she wanted someone to actually try such a stunt this very second.
"Master would not be alone. Where ever he goes I'll go too. And if he ever has to fight such a battle then I'll give it my all and fight by his side." Aria stated with passion and conviction coating every single word she spoke. She also had a look of defiance in her eyes and she was standing tall and confident in what she believed in.
'Girls.'
A proud smile came across Naruto's face at hearing the sheer amount of resolve and support they were giving him. Not including Aria on their own individually Iris and Chaos are a lot stronger than he was at their age and together the two sisters are a lot more than what anyone would expect from two six year olds. They truly surprise him sometimes with their strength and not just with their physical power either.
Jean looked put off by what the girls said. "You're going to need more than just pretty little words to get this job done." Jean said with his normal scowl back in place. "Then we are going to need reinforcements." Naruto said as he turned to Jean with his signature charming smirk in place. It looked a lot like Iris's but in this case we know where she gets in from.
"Let's talk strategy."
Jutsu Library
1.) Acceleration - A secret technique created by Naruto that allows him to move at hyper speeds. However this is not a technique that can be copied or duplicated by any other person because of the unique way in which it works. By drawing on Iris's and Chaos's energy that is constantly circulating in his chakra network and then mixing it in with his and Eva's energy Naruto can create a cloak of various shades of blue with slivers of other colors such as orange and purple. While in this cloak Naruto can move at rapid speeds.
Author's Note (A/N): So how was that? Things are a little bit more complicated than we first thought. For one Naruto has met Inari and the boy is the same kill joy from the manga and anime. We learn a lot more about the relationship Naruto and Aria share and just how meaningful it is to the both of them and finally we learn that Gato is a much bigger threat than we ever thought possible. His reach and influence is much more noticeable and vast compared to his Manga counterpart and when the time comes he will not hold back on Team 7.
So what is Team 7's next move. Stay tuned and find out.
That's the end of chapter 13 I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it.
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Published: 10/20/15